Optoelectronic modules, such as optoelectronic transceiver or transponder modules, are increasingly used in electronic and optoelectronic communication. Some electronic and optoelectronic modules can be plugged into a variety of host devices. Multi-Source Agreements (“MSAs”), such as the SFF MSA, the SFP MSA, the SFP+ (IPF) MSA, and the XFP MSA, specify, among other things, package dimensions for electronic and optoelectronic modules. Conformity with an MSA allows an electronic or optoelectronic module to be plugged into host devices designed in compliance with the MSA. Optoelectronic modules typically communicate with a printed circuit board of a host device by transmitting electrical signals to the printed circuit board and receiving electrical signals from the printed circuit board. These electrical signals can then be transmitted by the optoelectronic module outside the host device as optical signals.
One common difficulty associated with optoelectronic modules concerns the retention and removal of the optoelectronic modules within and from corresponding cages of host devices. Although various mechanisms have been developed in order to facilitate the retention and removal of optoelectronic modules within and from corresponding cages of host devices, these mechanisms can be problematic in certain applications. For example, the XFP MSA specifies a bail-actuated latch mechanism that facilitates the removal of an XFP optoelectronic module from a cage of a host device without the use of a separate tool. The bail-actuated latch mechanism can also include certain visible indicators that serve to identify one or more characteristics, such as wavelength or data rate, of the XFP optoelectronic module. The bail-actuated latch mechanism specified in the XFP MSA also provides, among other things, electromagnetic interference containment by helping to prevent the emission of electromagnetic radiation from within the XFP optoelectronic module.
Although enabling the removal of an XFP optoelectronic module from a cage of a host device without necessitating the use of a separate tool is generally desirable, certain applications, sometimes known as “single-insertion” applications, may require that the XFP optoelectronic module only be removed from a cage of a host device by use of a separate tool. Requiring a separate tool to remove an XFP optoelectronic module from a cage of a host device can increase the likelihood, for example, that the module is only removed from the cage by the original manufacturer or vendor of the host device and not by an end user of the host device.
One approach to designing an XFP optoelectronic module that is appropriate for a single-insertion application is to eliminate, entirely, a bail-actuated latch mechanism from the XFP optoelectronic module. This approach, however, also results in the undesirable elimination of the visible indicators of the bail-actuated latch mechanism that serve to identify characteristics of the XFP optoelectronic module. The elimination of these visible indicators can make the identification of characteristics of the XFP optoelectronic module, such as wavelength or data rate, burdensome. This approach can also result in the undesirable elimination of the electromagnetic interference containment properties of the bail-actuated latch mechanism, which can result in increased emission of electromagnetic radiation from the XFP optoelectronic module.